What the Chokushi Genkan Is
Joined to the south end of the Main Hall’s west face stands the Chokushi Genkan of Hōkō-ji, a formal entrance for receiving imperial envoys and other distinguished guests. It is a single-story timber building with a tiled roof and a floor area of 26 square metres: one bay wide and two deep, roofed with a front-facing karahafu gable in formal round-and-flat tiles, with mud-plaster walls to left and right.
It was built in 1915 and repaired in 2010. Its front is fitted with a panelled door; the floor is laid diagonally, and the ceiling exposes thorn-rafters over a bamboo lath base. Features such as the beam-and-bottle-strut gable ornament and the frog-leg strut over the beam, bearing a chrysanthemum crest, lend a dignified finish to the front of the Main Hall.
An Entrance Reflecting Imperial Ties
Hōkō-ji’s founder, Mumon Gensen, is held to have been a son of Emperor Go-Daigo, and the temple received titles from successive emperors. The Chokushi Genkan is a special entrance for receiving guests that symbolises those imperial ties, a lineage that shows in the chrysanthemum-crest ornament.
Value as an Entrance Framing the Main Hall’s Face
The Chokushi Genkan was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-260, the earliest number among Hōkō-ji’s registered buildings. Its listing cites the criterion of being a model of design.
What is valued is the quality of design with which it dignifies the front of the Main Hall. The front-facing karahafu roof is laid in formal tiles, the front carries a panelled door, and the gable uses a beam and bottle-shaped strut. Finished carefully down to details such as the chrysanthemum-crest frog-leg strut, it holds the dignity fitting for an entrance that receives distinguished guests.
Its small yet densely worked design reflects its role as an entrance attached to the Main Hall. Rather than standing alone, it joins with the Main Hall to grace the temple’s front.
Looking at the Karahafu and the Chrysanthemum Crest
A front-facing karahafu is an undulating gable set toward the front of a building, its centre curving gently upward to lend the entrance flair. The weight of the formal tile roof combined with the curve of the karahafu gives this small entrance the standing of a head temple.
The frog-leg strut set over the beam bears a chrysanthemum crest. Closely tied to the imperial house, the crest quietly declares the lineage of a temple whose founder was an imperial prince. Turn your attention, too, to the diagonal floor and the exposed thorn-rafter ceiling.
The Chokushi Genkan shares the word chokushi, imperial envoy, with the Chokushi-mon gate before the Founder’s Hall. Reading the two together, an entrance for receiving guests and a gate leading to the Founder’s Hall, reveals how Hōkō-ji has reflected its imperial connection in architecture.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shizuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hokoji Temple Imperial Envoy Entrance
- [ Mt. Fuji Views & Atami Hot Spring Resorts ]
Q&A
- What kind of building is the Chokushi Genkan?
- It is a formal entrance for receiving imperial envoys and other distinguished guests. Joined to the south end of the Main Hall’s west face, it has a front-facing karahafu roof in formal tiles, with mud-plaster walls to either side.
- When was it built?
- It was built in 1915 and repaired in 2010. It became a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2019, registration number 22-260.
- What does the chrysanthemum crest mean?
- The chrysanthemum crest is closely tied to the imperial house. Hōkō-ji’s founder, Mumon Gensen, is held to have been a son of Emperor Go-Daigo, and the crest on the entrance’s frog-leg strut reflects those imperial ties.
- What is worth seeing?
- The dignified front-facing karahafu tile roof, the panelled-door front, and the beam-and-bottle-strut gable. Details such as the chrysanthemum-crest frog-leg strut, the diagonal floor, and the exposed thorn-rafter ceiling are also worth noting.
Basic Information
| Name | Hōkō-ji Chokushi Genkan (Imperial Envoy’s Entrance) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1577-1 Okuyama, Inasa-chō, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| Status | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure); reg. no. 22-260 |
| Registered | 10 September 2019 |
| Units | 1 building |
| Structure | Single-story timber, tiled roof, 26 m², mud-plaster walls; front-facing karahafu tile roof |
| Date | 1915; repaired 2010 |
| Owner | Hōkō-ji (religious corporation) |
| Access | Within the precinct, joined to the Main Hall’s west face; exterior viewable |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs National Cultural Properties Database — Hōkō-ji Chokushi Genkan
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012910
- Hōkō-ji Head Temple — Official Site
- https://houkouji.or.jp/about/
- Rinnou.net — Rinzai & Ōbaku Zen: Hōkō-ji
- https://rinnou.net/head-temple/houkou/
- Shizuoka Tourism (Hello Navi) — Hōkō-ji Guide
- https://hellonavi.jp/article/hokoji
Last verified: 2026.07.07